Interstellar visitor to our solar system, 3I/ATLAS, set to be closest to Earth on 19 December

An interstellar comet named 3I/ATLAS is set to pass through its nearest point to the Earth on its journey on Friday, 19 December. On that day, it will be at an approximate distance of 170 million miles from the Earth and will be visible through binoculars and telescopes.

According to Smithsonian Magazine’s website, the comet’s closest approach to our planet would place it at a distance which is twice that of the Earth from the Sun. 31/ATLAS is a special visitor to our solar system as it is only the third recorded interstellar object to visit this part of the universe. The other two comets that belong to this category are 1I/’Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov. However, scientists are yet to figure out the star system from which this comet originated.

How to view 3I/ATLAS?

As per NASA’s website, on 19 December, the best way to view the interstellar object is by looking in the east to northeast direction in the pre-dawn hours. The comet would be situated under Regulus, a star in the centre of the Leo constellation. The telescope required to view 3I/ATLAS needs to have an aperture of at least 30 centimetres.

3I/ATLAS and speculation surrounding it

This latest visitor to our solar system was discovered in July. According to Space.com, some people started circulating the rumor that the comet is actually an alien spacecraft. With the government being in shutdown at the time, NASA could not immediately provide clarity.

However, in November, the space agency held a press conference and shared several important details.

“We very much want to find signs of life in the universe," NASA associate administrator Amit Kshatriya quipped during the press briefing. "But 3I/ATLAS is a comet.”

The agency also shared pictures of the comet and observations made through more than 20 missions across the solar system. These conclusively proved, as per NASA, that it was, indeed, a comet.

3I/ATLAS was discovered on 1 July, through the ATLAS telescope in Chile, which is funded by NASA. Individuals such as Avi Loeb, a leading astrophysicist, made claims that the object is behaving more like an alien and hostile spacecraft than a natural comet. Elon Musk magnified the claims on a podcast by suggesting that the motion of this object is influenced by more than just gravity.

However, scientists at NASA poured cold water on this speculation with a clear and unambiguous statement.

“This object is a comet," Kshatriya emphasized at the briefing. "It looks and behaves like a comet, and all evidence points to it being a comet.”

People with telescopes will get an opportunity to see for themselves how this comet is travelling through our solar system.

FAQs

How many interstellar comets have been recorded so far?

Only three comets that have originated beyond our solar system have been discovered so far.

How far will 3I/ATLAS be when it passes the closest point to Earth on its journey?

This comet will be around 170 million miles from the Earth on 19 December.

What was the name of the two earlier interstellar comets that were discovered?

Those two comets were 1I/’Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov.